less than tea. Worms, for instance. I used to have such a penchant for worms when I was younger, but whenever I was summoned to Mama’s sitting room and brought a handful to show her and her guests, they were not at all appreciative. Eventually she stopped sending for me. Honoria was far more tractable.’
The corner of his mouth relaxed. ‘Miss Caro, you are a hoyden.’
The pit of her stomach did a tumbler’s flip. ‘Did I give you permission to address me thus?’ she asked, feeling her face heat.
Horror flashed across his face as he realized his unguarded familiarity. ‘I beg your pardon. I cannot imagine how I came to … I fear I must have been conversing too freely with your brother.’
Caroline pushed down the unwelcome flutterings in her breast. ‘It is of no import. As a penance, if you are determined to go, may I request you take your friend with you? Hisconversation is a little too polished for us country-reared girls.’
A tiny frown. ‘You do not like Giles?’
‘I am sure he is all the crack. It is simply that we are, on the whole, not used to London manners.’
Her companion glanced across at the very moment Selina raised her eyes to Mr d’Arblay’s laughing profile. Her heightened colour filled in what Caroline had left unsaid. ‘It seems I must apologize again,’ he said. He crossed the room and within a very few minutes he and his friend had left.
‘My dear,’ said her mother in a voice full of meaning, ‘here is Mr Anstruther wanting tea. Would you fetch him a cup and keep him company a while?’
Caroline turned. Mr Anstruther was florid, barely literate and fifty-five if he was a day. ‘Certainly,’ she said, and when they were settled on the bench, confided, ‘I am reading Mr Pope’s The Dunciad at the moment. Now do give me your opinion of the verses. I long for a nice deep discussion about them….’
‘A most amusing afternoon. Did you learn anything?’ asked Giles as they strolled away from Fortune House in the direction of the High Street. He tipped his hat to a comely nursemaid shepherding a line of children. The nursemaid blushed and giggled.
Alex was still smarting from Caroline Fortune’s reproof. ‘I learnt that you are not safe outside the confines of your own circle.’
Giles smoothed down the sleeves of his coat. ‘Nonsense. I tell every lady I meet that my home is a ruined castle with insufficient income to make it habitable. If they still insist on throwing themselves at me, it is their own lookout.’
‘The average very young lady imagines ruined castles are romantic, and that all you need to live on is love. It is unkind of you to trifle with their emotions, Giles.’
‘Ho! I don’t notice you worrying overmuch about breaking would-be amours’ hearts when you dish out your famous set-downs .’
‘ Their affections are brought on by a perusal of Debrett’s Peerage: I do not believe I have ever raised a lady’s expectations myself.’
‘Then how do you claim to know so much about their sensibilities?’
Alex halted incredulously. ‘Good God, Giles, is it possible you have forgotten my sister’s appalling escapade last autumn?’
Giles looked back, puzzled. Then his face cleared. ‘Oh, that. But it came off all right. Lizzy’s safely married to Marshall and t’other fellow vanished from society overnight.’
‘And scandal only averted due to Sally Jersey happening on Lizzy in the George at Stamford and claiming she was with her the whole time!’ He resumed his progress towards the White Hart. ‘Which is why I am kicking my heels here. Do you suppose if I penned her a description of a race-meeting, she would give up expecting me to pinpoint anything shady? Quite apart from the crowds and the jostle around the betting posts, it is rank impossible to keep tabs on which rider is talking to which ruffian.’
‘Exactly what I have been saying! And you’re missing all the fun by doing so. Easier by far to reckon up who’s collecting
The corner of his mouth relaxed. ‘Miss Caro, you are a hoyden.’
The pit of her stomach did a tumbler’s flip. ‘Did I give you permission to address me thus?’ she asked, feeling her face heat.
Horror flashed across his face as he realized his unguarded familiarity. ‘I beg your pardon. I cannot imagine how I came to … I fear I must have been conversing too freely with your brother.’
Caroline pushed down the unwelcome flutterings in her breast. ‘It is of no import. As a penance, if you are determined to go, may I request you take your friend with you? Hisconversation is a little too polished for us country-reared girls.’
A tiny frown. ‘You do not like Giles?’
‘I am sure he is all the crack. It is simply that we are, on the whole, not used to London manners.’
Her companion glanced across at the very moment Selina raised her eyes to Mr d’Arblay’s laughing profile. Her heightened colour filled in what Caroline had left unsaid. ‘It seems I must apologize again,’ he said. He crossed the room and within a very few minutes he and his friend had left.
‘My dear,’ said her mother in a voice full of meaning, ‘here is Mr Anstruther wanting tea. Would you fetch him a cup and keep him company a while?’
Caroline turned. Mr Anstruther was florid, barely literate and fifty-five if he was a day. ‘Certainly,’ she said, and when they were settled on the bench, confided, ‘I am reading Mr Pope’s The Dunciad at the moment. Now do give me your opinion of the verses. I long for a nice deep discussion about them….’
‘A most amusing afternoon. Did you learn anything?’ asked Giles as they strolled away from Fortune House in the direction of the High Street. He tipped his hat to a comely nursemaid shepherding a line of children. The nursemaid blushed and giggled.
Alex was still smarting from Caroline Fortune’s reproof. ‘I learnt that you are not safe outside the confines of your own circle.’
Giles smoothed down the sleeves of his coat. ‘Nonsense. I tell every lady I meet that my home is a ruined castle with insufficient income to make it habitable. If they still insist on throwing themselves at me, it is their own lookout.’
‘The average very young lady imagines ruined castles are romantic, and that all you need to live on is love. It is unkind of you to trifle with their emotions, Giles.’
‘Ho! I don’t notice you worrying overmuch about breaking would-be amours’ hearts when you dish out your famous set-downs .’
‘ Their affections are brought on by a perusal of Debrett’s Peerage: I do not believe I have ever raised a lady’s expectations myself.’
‘Then how do you claim to know so much about their sensibilities?’
Alex halted incredulously. ‘Good God, Giles, is it possible you have forgotten my sister’s appalling escapade last autumn?’
Giles looked back, puzzled. Then his face cleared. ‘Oh, that. But it came off all right. Lizzy’s safely married to Marshall and t’other fellow vanished from society overnight.’
‘And scandal only averted due to Sally Jersey happening on Lizzy in the George at Stamford and claiming she was with her the whole time!’ He resumed his progress towards the White Hart. ‘Which is why I am kicking my heels here. Do you suppose if I penned her a description of a race-meeting, she would give up expecting me to pinpoint anything shady? Quite apart from the crowds and the jostle around the betting posts, it is rank impossible to keep tabs on which rider is talking to which ruffian.’
‘Exactly what I have been saying! And you’re missing all the fun by doing so. Easier by far to reckon up who’s collecting
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